Researching the cause of a condition as complex as Crohn’s disease can be frustrated for even the most seasoned researcher. There are so many variables and possibilities it seems an almost insurmountable task. But, there seems to be a light at the end of that tunnel, according to a recent article in Science-Centric News. There is new technology available designed to help researchers with gene searching.
According to the article, “Using a novel approach that combines a statistical tool that identifies genes interacting on the same biological pathways with highly automated gene-hunting techniques that scan the whole genome, an international team of researchers has discovered new genes involved in Crohn’s disease.”
This is some heady stuff when we start to consider the magnitude of this project. It is no small feat to map an entire genome and once seemed an endless, and often impossible, task. But, no more.
The biggest challenge with Crohn’s Disease is that many different genes come together to create a perfect storm, as such, and cause the disease. The task just got exponentially more difficult. Past research identified some of the stronger genes that influence the pronouncement of Crohn’s symptoms but could not identify the other weaker or ill-defined genes. So, the elusive disease remained so a bit longer.
“Currently the workhorse of gene-hunting is genome-wide association (GWA), which uses automated analytic equipment to sweep through the full range of all 23 human chromosomes and detect the most significant gene variants associated with a given disease. Those variants, each a change in a single DNA base, are called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).
However, individual GWA studies often do not have the statistical power to detect subtle but important variants that are involved in disease development. By using an algorithm developed by Kai Wang, Ph.D., at the Centre for Applied Genomics, Hakonarson’s study team created a pathway-based approach that seeks out interacting or related genes along the same biological pathway.”
With greater identification of the various genetic influencers for Crohn’s, researchers are able to adopt more effective drug protocols, which improve the patient’s quality of life and their long-term prognosis. It also means more complex diseases will benefit from this research and the tools being used to help better treat Crohn’s.
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